green bean salad

I made green bean salad this week. 

We had some green beans that Mike bought last weekend that really needed to be cooked.  I get tired of straight green beans sometimes though.  But they really needed to be cooked.  I was making chicken sandwiches and wanted a salad side.  Green bean salad, I thought!  

So, I blanched the green beans.  They are the french variety (haircot verts).  They were blanched for two minutes then chilled in an ice water bath.  I mixed them with a little sliced red onion and orange bell peppers.  I added a touch of fresh garlic, herbs de provence, and Good Season's Italian dressing... tossed the whole thing together and chilled.  WOW!  It was awesome, crisp, fresh. and the perfect companion to our chicken sandwiches!  YUM!

Make some for your sandwich nights!  (OK. they're not fries, but really tasty and good for you!)

-P

the perfect dip

This happened over Christmas.  I was in Austin with my Mother, Sister and Sister's family of Charley (brother-in-law) and Gabey (my adorable nephew).  We were staying with my Sister, Liz and family.  Mother was driving in from Baton Rouge, LA, which is known for really, really great food, but not a Tex-Mex variety of dining experience at all. Mom has withdraws for her beloved Tex-Mex (she re-located from Dallas a few years ago).  When Mom arrived in Austin, we went to Maudie's Tex-Mex (I think that's the name).  My good friend, Patrice had taken me there this fall and the place is fabulous Tex-Mex, Austin style Tex-Mex, and it is close to where Liz lives.

So, while at Maudie's, we had the opportunity of seeing Gabey's new dipping skills.  He is 14 months in this video and just learning stuff... LOTS of stuff.. It is really awesome watching him grow and learn new skills.  As I don't have children of my own, it is an amazing experience every time I see him, to see all the new stuff, words, and actions he's learned and shows me.

So while you're watching the video, take note of a few things.  First, the dipping skills of Mr. Gabey.  Second, the cheeze glob on his mouth and end of his water straw.  Third and most entertaining, is the final dip by Miss Margaret, my Mother, and Gabey's Grandmother.  You'll see her hand come in and make a perfect dip.  Love it!

this happened to me today

It was one of those days...

I'm so tired...

I didn't go workout this morning. I was tired. I got up, put on my workout gear, fed the dogs, and while reading the paper I realized how friggin tired I was. At 6:15, while I was wrapping up my paper reading, I thought to myself 'if I could just lay down for a few minutes... that would help', so I closed my eyes for a minute... which turned into 15 minutes. At 6:30 I made the decision to forgo the workout and sleep for an hour. When Mike got up and noticed that I didn't say 'goodbye' he walked into the living room to find me crashed out on the couch. 'What are you doing?' says he. 'I'm tired.' says she! I get up and begin my day. I NEVER miss my workout. That how tired I am.

At work/school we have early release today which means we have a shortened schedule, odd period placement, and are done by 2:10. Because I have worked every Saturday this month I am allowed 'comp time' this afternoon. Tracie is the first principal to give us 'comp time' for working auditions which is awesome. So, all day long, I have this afternoon off. Looking forward to THAT!

During first period, I am taking photos of student work, running back and forth from my classroom and the photo room with students. All goes well. The second period today is my conference period. Since I didn't make my lunch (remember, I'm tired), I need to go find me a sandwich for lunch and I'm going to try out Jimmy John's Sandwich Shop. Wait. I can't find my school keys. Uh Oh. I look in the photo room. No keys. I look in my classroom. No keys. My office is locked and I have only 30 minutes to procure lunch and be back for my next period class to start. So, I find Alan, the head Janitor at school (and a really awesome person, super helper and makes sure the 900 plus people at the school have their building needs met).

I'm talking to Alan. 'Can you please open up my office? I seem to have misplaced my keys', says me.

'Sure, your office?', says he.

'Yes, thank you Alan.'

'Um, are your keys on a red keychain?' says Alan.

'Yeah, they are!' says me.

'Are they on a streatchy keychain?'

'Yeah!!! They are!!' I say thinking he may have seen them!

'Um, they're in your pocket' Alan tells me.

OMG! I die of embarrassment, Alan is just laughing at me. I'm laughing at me at the time and I'm still cracking up! At the moment, I felt like a cross between Lucille Ball and my beloved Grandmother, Mimi!

I can't say the rest of the day was smooth. I was not smooth today. But, I made it through the day, am home now, and looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow at least until the crack of 8am. It's a good weekend and I'm looking forward to it. I'm hoping you have a great one!

-P

postcards

Imagine my surprise to find this in my mailbox after auditions this past Saturday. It was just in there... no package, no envelope, no postage, and no address... only also in my mail was a Christmas card from my sister's step mother... also with no address and postage. Apparently, Ms. Lee had been in Dallas and stopped by my house and left this in my mailbox.
It's a postcard book with postcards that I can color and decorate and best of all, be creative and add onto what ever prompt is on each postcard.

Here's an example of what they look like. This one says 'I want to tell you something.' and has a crude drawing of a gorilla. I like crude drawings, by the way. They don't have to all be perfect and sometimes crudeness has a style of it's own... kindof raw.

So, last night I drew and colored my first postcard! All that was on it before it was the dinosaur. I added everything else and just sent it off to Ms. Lee for her thank you note. Thank You, Lee! I love it!

look what I found...

Look what I found yesterday while I was looking for a pencil sharpener. It's a Best Buy gift card... An unused gift card dated from 2001. Imagine my surprise when I opened it.

It's from Harold, who used to work for Mike at the RedBlood Club years ago. He gave it to me for my birthday in 2001 right when we moved here. I must have stashed it away for future spending and forgot about it. Sadly, Harold died in 2008 from stomach cancer. It was a sad moment for me to find this gift card. I miss Harold. Thank you Harold. Love you Harold!

And I never did find that pencil sharpener I was looking for.

dad

This is my Dad.

This was taken some time in the 70's when I was a kid.

He had surgery on his back a couple weeks ago tomorrow. He's doing much better now and out of the hospital. I went to visit him in the hospital last weekend. He is so funny... With the nurses, he'd tease them and give them a hard time. He named his IV cart, 'Fred'. He'd take 'Fred' in the elevator and talk to him like he was a person. He went around the lobby offering strangers to see his blood for a dollar. I think he even made a couple of dollars ;). And, to top it off, when he had to sign out of his room, at one point he said he was going to Albertson's.

Last week I had MLK day off and Dad called me to see if I could take him to run a few errands. Of course, I was delighted to do so. We went by his house and he has this box of old photos that Kay, my dad's former wife and always my second Mom, had given him. This photo was in the box and I had to have it! OMG! (cue the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.)

Had to share!

Love you Dad!

It's a new semester...

Yup... It's a new semester. I know, you're thinking, "shouldn't you have started a new semester when school started January 4th?". Well... no. Thanks to the insightful and forward thinking of our state government, who decided several years ago to delay the start of public schools to the last week of August, we are required to start school late which means we have exams late in order to have equal semesters. So... we just had exams last week and today, yes, today, was the first day of the semester! YAY! ... I guess.

woops!

This happened to me this week.

As usual fashion while on vacation from teaching, I sleep a little late, read the paper, and go work out at a leisure time of 10:00. While working out, I get to watch The Price Is Right, which is my goofy form of entertainment. On this particular day, I have a 'cocktail' lunch planned with my good friend Kathy. We exchange texts while I am going through the Lab and I have just enough time to return Mikey's Christmas jeans he doesn't like for the Levis' I knew he would like when I bough the ones he doesn't like. (note to self, just get the Levis or Converse you know he'll like)

SO... I'm rushing out of the locker room... iPhone in one hand, purse in other hand, keys on my pinkie, gym bag over my shoulder... say bye to Briana at the desk and head to the elevator. I get on said elevator and push P1. I get to P1 and the door opens. For some reason I stopped short of getting out of the elevator and my keys on my pinkie keep going... off my pinkie... and land in the door jam of the elevator. It's the same kind of door jam on all elevators with about 1.5" of free dropping air space between the floor we're currently on and the elevator. My keys are in the middle... dropping one key at a time through the door space to nothingness... my heavy key ring is the last to go through as I am trying to lunge for them without dropping my iPhone as well. NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! rattle rattle drop! Slow motion dropping... SUCK!

To Chris at the front desk... 'uh I dropped my keys down the elevator shaft'. Stares. 'Uh can you help me out?' Just a minute, maam.

So, I text Kathy and she laughs at me. I wait about 45 minutes. I call Kathy telling her she'd have to pick me up. I go to tell the front desk to hold my keys and lo and behold the maintenance guy finally got me my keys. YAY! Onward.

A final word to everyone, especially those who are slightly spastic, HOLD ON TO YOUR KEYS!

Today is January 1, 2011. Happy New Year Y'all... It's been a good 2010 and I'm hoping for a better 2011... alas I hope it gets better than it started! We lost Frankie Campagna, head member of Spector 45, son of friend Frank Campagna, and former student. Mike and I just saw him at the annual Alumni Holiday Mixer the 26th... he looked great. Anyhow, it is very sad for all of us... and we wish only the best for Frank and Amber. Hugs to you all...

On a lighter note, I made a new years resolution to actually keep up with my blog I started two years ago and have posted exactly that many posts. I don't really expect anyone to read this so keep that in mind if you are really reading this.

Happy New Year!

-P